HARARE – Manyame Rural District Council (MRDC) has embarked on a roads rehabilitation project after receiving $513 000 from the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara).

The local authority’s chief executive officer Farirayi Guta has flighted a tender for the project that advised that documents should be submitted to the council’s offices no later that February 19.

The tender comes as the local authority has just finished resurfacing a stretch of about 1,5 kilometers in the district.

“MRDC invites bids for the following tender: Tender for the supply and delivery of one skip trailer. Tender for the construction of Guzha Business Centre roads and storm water drainage system. Tender for the rehabilitation of Besa road. Tender for the construction of Dema Township roads and storm water drainage system and tender for the construction of Beatrice township roads and storm water drainage,” read the notice.

In an interview with the Daily News yesterday, Guta said the council received $513 808 from Zinara for the refurbishment of its roads.

She said since the district covers a large surface, the money would be used in batches, with the roads most in need of repair being targeted first.

“We have started with these roads first but the whole district will benefit from the Zinara fund. Currently, we are only doing resurfacing of the roads,” Guta said.

MRDC engineer Benjamin Bara said the roads that need to be repaired in the area cover a stretch of about 15 kilometres, with storm water drains set to be constructed in combination with the roads.

“We have four sites that we are looking at repairing. Funds permitting, we wish to do them all at the same time but right now it may have to be done in phases,” he said.

Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association (Camera) commended the local authority for fixing the roads but urged them to also focus on service and business centres.

“Several newly-established residential suburbs in Manyame rural do not have appropriately designed roads while some of them are in a deplorable state.

Public ooperating vehicles are finding it difficult to navigate through the poor roads especially when it rains resulting in them withdrawing from servicing the Manyame rural communities, " Camera said.

Last year, council started implementing a $400 000 project that involved constructing a 3,1 kilometre access road to Murisa Rural Service Centre in Seke communal lands.